Removable-curtain shield.



L. G. SPARKS.

REMOVABLE CURTAIN SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1912.

1 ,097,949. Patented May 26, 1914.

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L. G. SPARKS. v REMOVABLE CURTAIN SHIELD.

APPLICATION IiLED DEC. 26, 1912.

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TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI G. SPAR-KS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

REMOVABLE-CURTAIN SHIELD.

Application filed December 26, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEVI O. SPARKS, res1ding at St. Louis, Missouri, and being a cit zen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Removable-Curtain Shields, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an abutting portion of adjacent vestibule cars partly in vertical section, showing the installation of a preferred embodiment of my invention thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through a portion of the end posts looking down upon my improved curtain container, and taken on a plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking downward and in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken at the bottom of the device on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view of the top portion of the device taken on the plane indicated by the line lt of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the bottom portion of the device and taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken through the device above the upper attaching means,-and taken on the plane indicated by. the line 6-6 of Fig. 4:,

looking downward in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through one side of the lower bracket, and taken on the plane indicated by the line 77 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the facing strip shown in section in Figs. 9 and 3.

Described more in detail I have shown the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Serial No. 738.769.

usual vestibule post A, the forward inner corner of which has a vertically extending recess B substantially semi-circular in horizontal section, the outward vertical edge of which recess is bound by a facing strip 0, L-shape in cross section, and, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, having one leg inset within the post, this strip forming a smooth contour across which may be drawn the curtain in moving to and from its extended position, as hereinafter more fully described. Extending from the opposite edge of the recess B is the usual side facing D. The curtainor strip F is adapted to be inserted within the recess B, and is adapted to be drawn from the same over the smooth facing strip 0.

This invention more particularly relates to the means for removably mounting this curtain within the recess, which means also includes a covering which forms a rounded corner for the vestibule post. This mounting comprises in effect an upper and lower bracket ailixed to the vestibule post and a cover plate having vertically spaced apart means adapted to engage the respective brackets, which plate carries between the aforesaid means suitable bearings for the spindle carrying the curtain roller.

Described more in detail there is shown in Figs. 3 and 5 a lower bracket 9 having a substantially semi-circular depressed portion fitted within the recess B and having outstanding arms 10 fastened by means of screws 11 to an adjoining edge of the vestibule post adjacent the opening B. These arms 10 have a thickened portion 12 extending in one case forwardly from the adjacent facing of a post A andin the other case disposed within the side facing D, the upper face of which portion 12 has a transverse groove 13 therein, which groove has inclined transversely extending walls 14 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Positioned vertically above the bracket 9,

the stem of which is formed into bifurcated resilient legs 17, these legs terminating in outwardly flaring ends 18 adapted to receive the sharp-pointed nose of the engaging member hereinafter more fully described, and the legs 17 in rear of the flared ends 18 are each outwardly set to form a diamondshaped pocket 19 between the same. Integral with the top portion of the bracket 15 and extending forwardly to meet the cover plate, hereinafter more fully described, is a horizontally disposed cap 20 adapted to prevent the infiltration of dust into the space occupied by the curtain and its bearings. A similar cap may outline the bot-tom of the lower bracket 9, if desired, thereby forming a closed housing for the curtain elements. Abutting the outer face of the upper and lower brackets is a horizontally disposed arched cover plate 21, preferably of thin sheet metal and forming in elfect a rounded corner for the vestibule post. Forming av reinforce for and outlining the lower inner face of the cover plate and extending outwardly therefrom on each vertical edge thereof is a lower bearing casting 31. The portions 22 extending beyond the cover plate are formed into wedging fingers adapted to fit between the walls 14, hereinbefore described, to form a wedging action with the lower bearing 9. Forming a part of this casting 31 and projecting centrally therefrom into the depressed portion of the lower bracket 9 is an upwardly and inwardly extending arm 23 terminating in an enlarged boss 25, which boss has a vertically disposed aperture or journal bearing 26 therein which contains the lower end of the spindle 37, and the roller 27 of the curtain F is supported on said boss. Similarly the upper inner face of the cover plate 21 is braced by a casting 28 riveted to the cover plate 21, resembling the cast-ing 31 but terminating within the outlines of the cover plate 21. Forming an integral part of the casting 28 and projecting inwardly from the central portion thereof is a plate 29, triangular shape in plan, projecting from the apex of which and formed integral therewith is a nose 30, substantially diamond-shape in plan. The outer sides of this diamond-shape member form a nose adapted to spread the flared ends 18 of the spring clamp 24, so that the diamond-shaped portion of this device may fit within the pocket 19, and is resiliently held in place by means of the spring arms .17. It will be seen by this construction that to place the cover plate in position the proj ecting portions 22 of the lower casting are inserted in the grooves 13 and the upper portion of the cover plate is swung into position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and the device is held at its upper end in its position by means of the spring clamp 24, and at the lower end by the engagement of the bracket 9 with the vestibule post, the lower bearing 31 interlocking with the bracket, and the curtain roller being seated in the removable lower bearing, which wit-h the curtain is held by gravity.

To form an upper bearing for the spindle 37 of the roller there is mounted upon the inner face of the casting 28 an L-shaped bracket 32, the vertical leg of which has a slot 33 therein, in which slot is positioned the binding screw 34 threaded into the casting 28, this arrangement affording a means for adjusting the position of the outstanding leg of the bracket 32, so as to position the upper bearing to accommodate spindles of different lengths. The horizontal leg of the bracket 32 has a. rectangular shaped opening therein, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 6, to accommodate the squared upper end of the spindle .37.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4 it will be noted that the casting 28 is positioned a slight distance below the upper edge of the cover plate 21, so as to permit the cover plate to abut the depending outlining flange constituting part of the cap 20.

that I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a recessed upright, a cover plate adapted to cover said recess, means for mounting a curtain roller, a vestibule curtain roller mounted therein, and means wedgingly retaining said plate within said recess and permitting of bodily vertical release therefrom.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of vertically spaced brackets, the lower of said brackets having an upwardly opened sl'ot therein, the upper of said brackets having a spring clamp fixed thereto, a cover plate having means adapted to engage in said slots and having means adapted to engage in said spring clamp, and curtain supporting means carried by said cover plate.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of vertically spaced brackets, the lower of said brackets having an upwardly opened slot therein, the upper of said brackets having a spring clamp fixed thereto, a cover plate having means adapted to engage in said slots and having means adapted to engage in said spring clamp.

at. In a device of the class described, a cover plate, brackets supporting said cover plate, a curtain roller carried by said plate, and means carried in part by said plate for wedgingly removably holding the roller in position.

5. In a device of the class described, a

recessed upright, a metallic facing binding one edge of the recess, a curtain roller bearing near the lower end of .said facing, an

upper roller-support, a cover plate carrying said bearing and support, a curtain roller wfthin said recess, a curtain thereon adapted to be drawn across said facing, and releasable means engaging the upper end of the miller, and wedge means for holding said ate. p 6. In a device of the class described, a cover plate, a support for the lower end thereof, a lower bearing aflixed to said plate, an upper bearing mounted on said plate, a vestibule curtain roller mounted in said bearings, and releasable wedging means independent of the pintle support of said roller holding the upper end of said plate.

7. In a device of the class described, a recessed upright, a spring clamp within said recess, a casting engaging therewith within said recess, a plate carrying said casting, a curtain roller, and a bearing therefor at one end removably supported from said casting and a support for the lower end of said roller.

8. In a device of the class described, a cover plate adapted to partly cover a recess in a vestibule post, castings bracing said plate, said castings constituting bearings for a vestibule curtain, means for holding said cover plate in position embodying resilient wedgingly operating means for holding one of said castings.

9. In a device of the class described, a recessed upright, upper and lower curtain roller bearings, resilient wedging means releasably engaging one of said bearings, a removable cover plate connecting said bearings and means holding said cover plate in position.

10. In a device of the class described, a recessed upright, curtain roller bearings removably mounted therein, and a spring clamp and a wedge member engaging therewith for holding one of said bearings.

11. In a device of the class described, a recessed upright, curtain-roller supporting means in the recess thereof, a cover plate having wedge portions, and means on the cover plate support having a groove in which said portions wedgingly engage.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

I LEVI O. SPARKS.

IVitnesses Y J. W. MILLER, IV. H. AVERILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

